Category: the fabulous beekman boys

I often talk about the stereotypes and how the mainsream media seems to always focus on certain aspects of the gay community and misses other aspects completely.

But the fact remains that the gay community is filled with diversity on all levels. And some of the stereotypes that are put out in the mainstream are true and they shouldn’t be diminished either. So while I do wish that we saw more shades of gay, so to speak, in the mainstream, I also think it’s important to celebrate some of the stereotypes as well.

Beekman Boys On Amazing Race This Fall:

FABULOUS + AMAZING = FABUMAZING!

The Fabulous Beekman Boys will be competing on this fall’s season of The Amazing Race on CBS.

This information came from an e-mail announcement and there’s no link. But I think that’s about as bad as it gets with regard to stereotypes. Fabumazing? In any event, I enjoy what the Josh and Brent do. And we all know, “Farmin Ain’t Easy.”

Drag Queen Barbie:

Styled with glamorous Marilyn makeup in a barely-there, platinum mini-dress—the showstopper part of which is a bejeweled, corseted bodice—and draped with a floor-length white fur, the Blond Diamond Barbie is designed by New York City fashion duo the Blonds. BarbieCollector.com, which sells the doll, calls it “pretty, provocative, and magical.” A slew of major media outlets—among them TIME, ABC News, Entertainment Weekly—and countless smaller blogs call it “Drag Queen Barbie.” That title is not exactly accurate, but the doll is progressive—albeit controversial.

You can read more about drag queen Barbie here. Again, another stereotype that is a big part of the gay community and always has been.

Mary Cheney, Vice-President Dick Cheney’s Daughter:

When you think of a gay marriage, you probably imagine a lot of things. However, one thing we‘re almost certain you don’t expect is for Dick Cheney to be in attendance as the father of the bride. Or, in this case, one of two brides. Yet just recently, he has been just that.

You can read more here. And, this is about as far from the stereotype as it gets. Republican Veep, Dick Cheney, has a gay daughter? And she got married? What on earth could possibly happen next?

This Is a Huge Part of Gay America:

Notice how I left it blank. That’s because there are still millions of gay men and women who still aren’t “out” because they can’t come out. They fear losing their jobs, they fear losing their families, and they fear being shunned from their religions. In fact, I would go as far as saying they make up the majority of the gay community and don’t even know it.

This morning I open an e-mail and it reads, “Baby Goat Bananza.” The address reads “Unknown Sender.” And I immediately think, “Okay, it’s that tired old kangaroo of a “m/m author” who’s always complaining about everyone, and has been writing not so nice things about me on her painfully boring blog.”

Or, I’m wondering if it could be spam with an attached virus. (It’s happened.)

So my first instinct is click delete. But it’s baby goats. Seriously. I’m going to ignore something about baby goats? I actually do know someone who has goats in Somerville, New Jersey.

In any event, I opened the e-mail and the world didn’t stop. It wasn’t spam, it wasn’t my friend in Somerville. It’s actually a newsletter from the Beekman Boys, way up in Sharon Springs, NY. I’ve been on the fence about them regarding a few things. Here’s one post I wrote about gay men being referred to as “boys” back in 2010. However, the more I’ve been following them the more I “get” what they are trying to do. And, I do, indeed, know more than a few fine gay couples who remind me of them. Tony and I, as a gay couple who have been together for twenty years, are a little different in the sense that we don’t focus our lives around being gay or being different. We’re a couple and we’re here; you like us or you don’t and we prefer not to be defined by anyone (even though that’s often easier said than done). However, it’s nice to see any same-sex couple living, working, and interacting together on national television. And, Farmer John, they guy in charge of the goats,balances them very well.

For those who haven’t been following The Beekman Boys, here’s a link to their web site. I’m actually dying to take a long weekend and see Sharon Springs. I could drive from New York to Maine blind folded I know New England so well. I’ve sat in traffic on the Bourne Bridge so many times I’ve lost count. I know Long Island from Oyster Bay to East Hampton. But I know nothing about upstate New York and I’ve always wanted to take a road trip there. If we do it this summer, I’ll try to do a series of posts with photos while we’re there. I think a lot of readers enjoy these personal things sometimes.

If you check out The Beekman Boys web site, you’ll find all kinds of interesting things. Dr. Brent is adorable. There are videos, blogs, and pages where you can shop for the products they offer. I’ve had the goat cheese and liked it. In fact, I’ll be ordering more for a dinner party we’re having later in March.

When I switched from comcast to verizonfios earlier this summer, I had no idea the transition was going to be so difficult. I don’t watch much TV because I’m usually writing books, reading books, or editing books. But I do watch a few hours at night to clear my head. And getting used to the verizon set up wasn’t easy.

But one of the great things I discovered on verizonfios this summer was a TV show called The Fabulous Beekman Boys. It’s a reality show, starring a gay couple, Dr. Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, who decided to make a life-change by buying an old mansion in upstate New York and building a business around it. They remind me of the two main characters in my book Sleepless in San Francisco, only they aren’t raising a child.

But they are raising goats and other fascinating farm animals, along with making organic soaps, growing organic vegetables, and creating their own organic goat cheese. Everything can be purchased at the web site, too. And you can read more about them both, and about what they are creating at Beekman. What I love most is that it’s more about a healthy lifestyle than anything else. And, to be honest, Dr. Brent is absolutely adorable and very easy in the eyes.

As someone who has started two businesses on my own, and then sold them both for profit, I know how hard these guys work. In order to get any business off the ground, it means working seven days a week, at least twelve or more hours each day, and no time off for a social life. I did it for ten years with my New Hope art gallery, and five more with another business I sold in 2007. And I’m still doing it as a writer, which is just as demanding as running any other business.

So if you get a chance, check out the link I provided above. Beekman 1802 is a great web site and very simple to navigate. But more than that, these two guys are excellent examples of the same sex couples I’m always writing about in my novels.